Automatic fire extinguisher



June 24, 1930.

H. c. LAENGEL AUTOMATIC FIRE- EXTINGUISHER Filed Dec; 19, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 1 v (L fiaeizocl fifty.

June 24; 1930.. H. c. LAENGEL' 2 I v AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER- v IFiled Dec. 19, 1927 2 'Sheets-She'et 2 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITEDSTATES HENRI CHARLES LAENGEL, OF PARIS, FRANCE AUTOM'ATIG FIREEXTIN'GUISHER Application filed December 19, 1927, Serial No. 241,197,and in France December 24, 1926.

The apparatus according to the invention consists of an automatic fireextinguisher which is chiefly adapted for use upon motor cars andaeroplanes.

I The said apparatus is preferably placed adjacent the carbureter, andin the case-0t improper heating, back firing, or any other actioncausing fire, the apparatus will act automatically, and without the aidof the driver or the'pilot, to put out the fire. In

this manner, the fire cannot 'reachthe fueltank, so that there will beno danger of an explosion which would destroy the vehicle or theaeroplane. The said automatic extinguisher is also adapted for use uponall apparatus or machines, and in all places in which flames might becommunicated to tanks, cisterns, storage plants or the like, thussetting fire to the same.

The said invention consists in the use of a suitable cap, disc, washeror the like, consisting of an inflammable substance or composition, suchas celluloid, whose combustion will take place at a given temperature.When 95 the saidcap (or the like) is consumed, it will release in anentirely automatic manner the devices whereby the fire extinguisher isset in action. v 7

By way of example, an apparatus based on 0 these principles is shown inthe appended drawings, in which the dimensions which have been hereinselected for the use of the apparatus upon motor vehicles or the like,will obviously vary with the use which is to be made of the saidapparatus.

Fig.- 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a partial section showing the means for supporting themechanism in the container.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower part of said apparatus showingthe displacement of the parts after the burning of the cap and the exitof the liquid when discharged by the impellmg gas.

Fig. 4 shows the mechanism of said cap in the released position.-

Fig. 5 is a sectional view. on a larger scale of a modified form ofconstruction. The said apparatus comprises a container telescopingmembers 4-15-16; the member 16 supports the whole mechanism and is heldin said container by two rods 21 secured to the Y cover 23.v

This said mechanism consists in the percuss'ion member 4 having acentral transverse opening and a pointed end adapted to rupture the gasfilled cartridge. The lower end of the member 4 telescopes into themember 15 which houses a coiled spring which bears against the member 4.The intermediate member 15 has at its upper end two armsdiametricallyop'posite and extending outward at an acute angle and eachpivotally supporting a wing shaped trigger 14'. Extending at rightangles from the member 15 are supports engaging bolts 21 which supportthe said ercussion mechanism. The member '16 whic telescopically housesthe member 15 has two upstandingportions which engage the triggers andhold the mechanism in cocked position. Formed in, the side of the member16 are slots 17 in which pins 18 on the intermediate member travel,thereby limiting the relative movement of themembers .15 and 16.

The whole mechanism is held in the inoperative position by the pointedmember 5 which is secured against movement by the combustible or fusiblecap 8. The said cap thus holds the whole mechanism in the cookedposition, and when it disappears" (by combustion) the apparatus willoperate. The pointed member 5 carries, as stated, a valve 6 which fitstightly upon the seat 19 of the container,

whereby all leakage of the extinguishing liquid is obviated.

The cap 8 is provided with a thickened rim which has screw threads ingthe end of the container. Embedd in the thickened rim are the ends of ametallic band 29 which passes through the celluloid cap and bearsagainst the lower end of the releas ng member 5. This prevents too rapidburning the cartridge and disc arging the of the cap and strengthens thesaid cap against injury from blows or through falling. Also it preventsthe release of the member 5 until the cap is entirely consumed, thereballowing the liquid to be discharged in al directions.

Connected with the interior of the container through the valve 6 is asprinkling cap 7 through whicln the member 5 passes and which isentirely enclosedby the combustible cap 8. The said sprinkling cap isattached by the usual bayonet slot and pins 12. The sprinkling cap beingentirely covered by the combustible ca the possibility of the openingsof the sai cap being filled with dirt is precluded.

Carried at the top of the container is a carbonic acid gas cartridgewhich is adapted to be ruptured by the pointed'end'of the member 4. Thesaid cartridge. is covered and supported by a cap 2 threading on thecontainer. The said cap is sealed by a packin member 9to prevent theescape of the gas.

11 operation the cap 8 is entirely consumed by fire and releases thereleasing member 5 which is forced downward by the spring 10. The member16 relieved of the supporting member 5 drops through the actlon ofgravity, releasing the su port on the wing shaped triggers 14 which dropand rmit the member 4 to be propelled upward y the coiled spring 10, theointed end rupturing as under high pressure into the container. Ihe highpressure of course passes some of the as into solution and the water isdischarge at the spraying cag under pressure.

The hqui there will never be any loss of liquid, or loss of expellingforce.

Due to 1ts construction, the said apparatus, even when indented by ashock, will still operate, and in all positions whether vertical,horizontal or inverted. If a motor vehicle should take fire in the hood,the apparatus will come into action.

To reset the device, a new combustible cap is screwed in place forcingthe releasing member upward, thereby engaging the member 16 which inturn forces the winged triggers outwardly and draws the member 4 backinto cocked position. The cap 2 is then removed and a new cartridgeinserted. Thus, by two simple movements the device is again ready foruse.

The modification which is shown in Fig. 5 differs from the preceding bythe following construction. The compressed gas cartridge is so disposedthat when the cartridge is opened the gas will issue above the level ofthe liquid contained in the apparatus; also, the combustible closing capis so arranged that it will hold the pointed member in place until it isentirely consumed.

In this modification, the apparatus comis never under pressure, so thatprises a main body 1 provided with a lower neck 1, closed at the lowerend, in'which is formed a seat 19 for the valve 6 which is carried bythe releasing member 5. The top end 23-is crimped upon theedge of themain body 1, and it is provided with a central tapped hole 25 coactingwith a member 26 WhlOll descends into the main body 1, and forms at itslower part a socket 15 provided with side lugs; carrying the pivot axlesfor the-wing-shaped members 14 whose pointed ends are disposed in anaperture in the heavy member .4 which is u wardly urged by a s ring 10and is slida 1e in the socket 15.

he spring 10 abuts against a pin 18 extending horizontally throu h thesaid socket and whose ends project an .are guided in verti-v cal slots17 'formed in a cylindrical piece 16 which coacts with said socket andrests at the bottom on the upper end of the pointed member 5 alsopossessing lugs to support the members 14.

The com ressed gas cartridge? is vertically place between the branchesof the strap 26' and rests on the member 4'. The end of the cartridgeneck thus coincides with the striker point 4 which is vertically mountedat the centre of a screw plug 27 engaged in the tapped aperture 25 inthe upper end 23. The said plug 27 is made hollow in such manner, as toform a gas bell 28 above the neck of the cartridge 3, between itsinternal, wall and the level of the liquid in the apparatus.

At the lower part of the main bod 1, and upon the screw thread of theneo 1', is mounted a sprinkling cap or head 7 of hemispherical shape,whlch 1s apertured for the insertion of the lower end of the pointedmember 5 which is disposed at the middle part of an arc-shaped springstrip 29 such as a wire; a band or the like, whereby the parts will befastened. The ends of said curved part 29 are so sha ed as to form claws30. Upon the outer t readed part of the sprinkling device 7 is mounted aring 31 comprising a lower circular projection 32, annular oove 33 beingformed in its upper end, o r the insertion of a rin 34 of a combustibleor fusible substance w ich also engages the attaching claws 30 of thespring 29 and holds them upon the circu lar end portion, the spring 29bein thus laced under tension. The combust1 le or usible ring 34 isprovied with a cap 8 consisting of a combustible substance which covers andprotects the sprinkler 7, the ends of the pointed member 7, and the sring 29.

In t e inoperative position of t e apparatus, the several parts occupythe positions shown in the drawings. 7

The operation of the apparatus is as follows.

Upon the first contact with the flame, the cap 8 is consumed, so thatthe inflammable or member 5, so that the valve 6 will allow the liquidto be discharged to the exterior.

At the same time, the descent of the pointed member 5 will cause thedescent of the member 16 relatively to the socket 15.. The lugs of themember 16 will no longer hold the members 14; the spring 10 impels themember 4' which thus raises the cartridge 3 while at the same time themembers 14 are rotated, and they will act upon the member 16 and thepointed member 5 to completely open the passage for the liquid;

t the same time, the cartridge 3 is ruptured by the striker 4; the gasenters the bell formed by the plug 27 and thus forces out the liquidthrough the valve 19. In this manner the liquid is expelled withviolence and is sprayed in the form of. a thick cloud through theapertures in the. sprinkler 7.

The percussion of the cartridge 3 and the openingof the passage 19 forthe discharge of the liquid thus form two distinct operations whichoccur at the same time and cannot take place separately.

I claim: 1. An automatic fire'extinguisher comprising a liquidcontainer, a percussion mechanism carried by the container, an outletvalve for the liquid, a gas filled cartridge arranged to be ruptured bythe mechanism, and a combustible means on the outside of the containerwhich normally holds the valve in closed position and which whensubjected to heat releases the percussion mechanism.

2. An automatic fire extinguisher comprising a liquid container, 2. gasfilled cartridge carried above the container, the end of the cartridgeprojecting into the container, a cap fitting over the'cartri'dge andthreading on the container, a percussion mechanism for rupturing thecartridge carried in the container, a releasing member holding themechanism in cocked position, a combustible means holding the releasingmember whereby the burning of said means releases said member, and anoutlet valve carried by the releasing member. v

3. An automatic fire extinguisher comprising a liquid container, a gasfilled cartridge carried above the container, the end of the cartridgeprojecting into the container, a cap fitting over the cartridge andthreading on the container, a percussion mechanism for rupturing thecartridge carried in the container, a releasing member holding themechanism in cocked position, a combustible means holding the releasingmember whereby the burning of said means releases said member,

her, and a spraying cap covering the outlet valve.

4. An automatic fire extinguisher comprising a liquid container, a gasfilled cartridge carried by the container and communicating therewith,telescoping members carried interiorly of the container, theintermediate of these members having arms projecting at an acute angle,wing shaped triggers pivotally supported on said arms, a percussionmember held in cocked position by the triggers, a releasing membersupporting the telescoping members, a combustible cap maintaining thereleasing member in position, an outlet valve,

a spraying cap covering the valve opening whereby upon burning of thecombustible cap, the releasing member is released, allowing the triggersto turn on their pivots releasing the percussion member to rupture thecartridge.

5. An automatic fire extinguisher, comprising a liquid container, a gasfilled cartridge associated with the container, a percussion mechanismfor rupturing the cartridge carried in the container, a releasing memberholding the mechanism in cocked position, a combustible means holdingthe releasing member whereby the burning of said means releases saidmember, and an outlet valve carried by the releasing member. 6. Anautomatic fire extinguisher, comprising a liquid container, acombustible cap on the outside of the container, a valve normally heldin closed position by the combustible cap, percussion mechanism in thecontainer and operatively related to said valve to normally urge it toopen position, said percussion mechanism including telescoped sectionsand an interposed spring with actuating arms between the sections, a gasfilled cartridge anoutletvalvecarriodbythereleasingmem-

